KEEPING ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE LAW: LGIU GUIDE

The Local Government Information Unit has just reprinted its best - selling guide to the publicity rules surroundin...

The Local Government Information Unit has just reprinted its best - selling guide to the publicity rules surrounding local authorities - The Right Side of the Law. The guide emphasises that if councils understand the regulations, they will not be intimidated or needlessly constrained by them.

The guide explains the rules which affect councils and the voluntary organisations they fund. It includes a commentary on the government's Code of Practice on local authority publicity by leading barrister Robin Allen QC.

The guide

-- explains what is meant by publicity

-- details the legal basis for publicity

-- discusses the legal restrictions

-- examines the issues of party politics and publicity and the 'promotion' of homosexuality

This new edition includes details of a survey on Public Relations Officers' awareness and understanding of the Code of Practice - a survey which clearly demonstrates the need for a better understanding of the rules.

Dennis Reed, director of the LGIU, said: 'This guide will be invaluable to councils and voluntary organisations. Too often the fear of falling foul of the law has stopped councils producing perfectly legal publicity.

'It is important to stay within the law but equally it is important not to be intimidated by it. The Right Side of the Law gives organisations the information they need to make informed decisions.'

The publication will be of particular use to officers working in public relations, marketing and recruitment departments; councillors; and people in voluntary organisations which receive local authority funding.

The Right Side of the Law costs£5 from the LGIU (£2.50 to LGIU members).

This year marks 100 years since the Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act 1919 which allowed women to work in some parts of the civil service for the first time, specifying that “a person shall not be disqualified by sex or marriage from the exercise of any public function”.

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